Peds nursing project ideas?

[VWBuggin]

Hello all!

I am a nursing student and I am currently brainstorming for an idea for a teaching project for a group of 4-5 years olds I must complete.

I didn't expect to post asking for some advice on what would be a good idea. It has to be "health-related" and I have thought of a few things, but wow, it's tough to come up with something for small children to comprehend.

I actually have a 7 and 6 year old, so you think it would be easy, but not really.

What do you all think? I am asking because the majority of you are nurses and really know what's important to teach these days.

I am new here, and am in my 2nd year of an RN program. I absolutely love it and in 9 months I'll be on my way!!

Thanks,

Kerri

[ukstudent]

My hospital has a teaching day for the local kindergardeners. We have several teaching areas. This is hopefully making any hospital visit less frightening.

Stations include:

IV set up, showing the catherter without the needle (what would be inside them).

Baby care, how to hold, feed and change a diaper on dolls.

Vital signs, take temp and blood pressure, let them hear their own heart beat.

Surgery, have puppets with wide mouths with bits of sponge in them that represent tonsils. The children put on masks, put a "gas mask" on their Pt. and take out the tonsils using tweezers.

We also get other departments to help, nutrition shows them good food to eat, pharmacolgy teaches them how to count out pills (plastic balls) and put them into containers, PT has them try and use a wheelchair and or crutches.

We also have a pediatrician give a talk about saftey. Always using a helmet and other saftey equipement whan riding bikes, skateboards etc. They show them plastic bones and old X-rays.

I hope this has given you some ideas. There are many health related ideas that you can teach young children. Good luck in your project.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Kids in the community or in the hospital? If in the community, HANDWASHING!! Easy to teach and understand, lots of fun little games, and the most important way to stop the spread of infection!

[firstyearstudent]

This is kind of obvious, but what about healthy-eating/exercise? It is so easy to get information on this since the powers that be have been addressing the obesity epidemic among children.

[bsunurse]

I taught the preschoolers in my peds class about brushing their teeth. Another group taught about outdoor safety such as staying away from dogs, wear a helmet, don't run around a pool, look both ways when crossing the streets. I really like this idea since I work on a neuro floor and all of our patients have had these kinda accidents and now have head injuries and are in the hospital for monthes.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Dog safety is a good one too. You can probably get info on it from one of the local shelters or HSUS or ASPCA online.

[VWBuggin]

Hey,

Thanks for all the speedy replies and great ideas! I will definitely be considering some of these ideas.

The children I will be talking to are actually in the daycare my 18 month old attends.

Thanks so much.

Kerri

[scaredgpn]

Maybe somewhere along the line you could throw in a health related 9-1-1 session? For instance, if they are home with family and can't wake up a member of family, etc....?

[sydie]

We did this project as well last semester...some topics that were taught included:

first aid basics

nutrition/food guide pyramid/"everyday" snacks vs. "sometimes" snacks

dental hygiene